IMITATE THEIR FAITH/JOSEPH

"Am I in the Place of God"?


JOSEPH stood in his garden as dusk fell. Perhaps his gaze took in date palms and other fruit trees, pools with water plants, and just beyond the wall, a glimpse of Pharaoh's palace. Imagine that stray snatches of sound drifted to Joseph from his own house; his son Manasseh was making his baby brother , Ephraim, giggle. Joseph could picture the scene inside, his wife laughing gently at the boy's antics. He smiled. He knew that he  was a blessed man.
Joseph had given his firstborn the name Manasseh because it referred to forgetfulness.  (Genesis 41:51) God's blessings in recent years had surely soothed the pain of Joseph's memories of his home, his brothers, and his father. His older brothers hatred for him had changed his life. They had assaulted him, contemplated  killing him, and then sold him as a slave to traveling merchants. Since then, his life had taken one tumultuous turn after another.  For about a dozen years, he had endured slavery and then imprisonment-for a time in iron fetters. But now, her he was-the second ruler to Pharaoh in the might nation of Egypt!

For several years, Joseph had seen events unfolding just as Jehovah had foretold. Egypt was well into the prophesied seven years of plentiful harvests, and Joseph had overseen the storage of the nation's surplus grain. During that time, he had fathered two boys by his wife, Asenath. Still his mind often turned to his family hundreds of miles away-especially his younger brother, Benjamin, and their dear father, Jacob. Joseph may have wondered if they were well and safe. Perhaps he wondered too, if his older brothers had changed their violent ways or if he could ever heal the breach that had torn his family apart. 

If the peace of your family has ever been disrupted by jealousy, betrayal, or hatred, you man have something in common with Joseph. What can we learn from Joseph's faith as he took care of his family? 

Next time: IMITATE THEIR FAITH/JOSEPH -"GO TO JOSEPH"

From the Watchtower magazine, 2015